Draft 3: The Concrete Advantage

In the article “The Concrete Advantage” from Green Rooftop website, Green Rooftops claims that hydrophobic technology removes hazardous factors for users while assuring monetary returns. Concrete green roofs are sturdy and does not degrade over time. The article states that the use of waterproof concrete has helped to defeat the greatest disadvantage of green roofs by removing the element found most speculative by handlers. Builders’s job is made easier since there is no use of membranes, eliminating the detriments in the build-up. The task can be accomplished quicker as there is no concrete-cure waiting time before inclusion of the membrane, resulting in cost-effectiveness for the user. Root barriers are unnecessary as the growth of roots is eradicated with the use of waterproof concrete. The article also mentions that in the case where maintenance is needed on the green roof, a simple inoculation of polyurethane grout can be induced at the bottom, minimizing any harm towards the ecosystem.

The article explains the positive effects and monetary value of using hydrophobic technology in green rooftops. However, the lack of a Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau(FLL) test to validate the information from the article makes the article less than satisfactory to promote hydrophobic technology within rooftops.

Green Rooftops should have done a Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau (FLL) test before publishing this article. The article mentioned that no test has been done to substantiate the benefit of eliminating a root barrier. In my opinion, I believe that the FLL test should have been done prior to the publishing of the article “The Concrete Advantage”. To justify their claims, Green Rooftops should have obtained a FLL test report from the Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CRITT) Horticole and the Scientific and Technical Center for Building, European notified body for construction products (CSTB). The CRITT Horticole and the CSTB is a partnership program formed to perform root resistance tests on waterproofing membranes according to the EN 13948 norm (Determination of resistance to root penetration). The FLL testing techniques provide an output which can be compared with preset reference values and this will provide more valid justification to why hydrophobic technology is better compared to the traditional roofing system. With this improvement done to the article, I feel that users of green rooftops would be convinced to upgrade their current rooftops to the use of hydrophobic technology.

References

-Philippi, P. M. (2002). Introduction to the German FLL-Guidelines for the Planning, Execution and Upkeep of Green-Roof Sites. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/IntroductiontotheGermanFLL2.pdf

-Root resistance test EN 13948 - FLL. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.critt-horticole.com/activite/root-resistance-test-en-13948-fll/